Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-06

How COnvicts Pass their Tfha0 An tn
Big Stone Building.


cool PLACE 70 SPEND THE sunHER-yArt rARs
AND ROUTINE OF JAN IIvE-rHs coSv1crs vfnsr
EIeHT-xBS WHO ARE DETAILED FOR woRx--
DEvtcks ADOPTED NJ coNvIc1s 10 BREAK JAZZ.
Folks whogo to JAIL especially during the heated
term, do not have such miserable time OF 1t as
| the people outside imagine. The stone prison
building is arranged that 1t gets plenty Of air
and = still shielded from the burning sum- In fact
the prison Is a building within building, there
being large ana airy court on each side between
the outer and inner building So one will find few
more comfortable places in which to spend the dog
days than the jail: still there is decided objection
on the part OF many people going there and those
on the inside, notwithstanding the weather. are
constantly planning to get out by aid OF legal
technicaltieso the simpler devices of cold chisels
hundred and eighty prisoners in the jail, fteen
Or twenty below the average About thirty Of these
OF the
THE RoTUNpA
In the center OF the jail Is large rotunda to
which visitors are admitted. At desk near the
door generally one OF the jail or1cers is seated
on either side OF the rotunda ID large cage, or
grating, rising nom the stone floor to the roof
These are the grated ends Of the corridors that
extend out from the rotunda through the north
forms In this cage extending up TO the fourth
floor. visitor TO the jail is apt to see several
prisoners allowed out IN the corridor for exercise
stretching themselves on the platforms and look.
Ing sulenly through the 9ratings into the rotunda
glance down the narrow corridors shows a per
whitewashed wallis Looking upon the court out
side, corresponding to each door in the corridor is
grated window.
THE CELLS
Walking down one OF the corridors O glance
Into a cell door Will show harrow ROOM with
whitewashed walls and a narrow cot, with plain
but comfortable looking blanket andfpillow, The
walls OF some OF the cells have been decorated by
their inmates with pictures cut from illustrated
papers. few have books piled up on the narrow
window ledge, and seem to have endeavored to
make their surroundings as esthetic as their cir
the assassin, was taken when he was first confined
had been occupied just before he went there by
prisoner VINO had decorated the cell with pictures
The most conspicuous picture was portrait OF
Garfield, pasted on the wall, over the cot, and
Guiteau let 1t remain. Visitors are admitted to
the jail and allowed to see prisoners every day
social parties at the end OF the corridors prisoners
other.
NEW BATCH OF PR1soNEKs
Every day the jail van brings from the Police
Court or the Criminal Court q little squad OF re-
cruits for the community in the jail Every day
or two number who have served their time are
released. When the jail van comes the new pris-
there is smartly- dressed check-raiser or embez-
7ler In the lot but generally the squad is unkenpt
looking. When one Of the orficers Of the jail has
gone over the commitments, seen that all the
prisoners named in the papers are there and made
the proper record, the new arrivals are taken to
room In the basement. Here the prisoner is
stripped and made to battle. His clothing, mean
whLe. is placed In steam box, where they are
subjected to thorough steaming. When he
jeans to wear until his own Clothing has been
dried. The clothing is steamed as precaution
against vermln or contagious diseases that might
De brought into prison in the clothing OF prisoners
Before he is placed in his cell the prisoner is de.
prived OF his money. II lie has any, his knife and
init him to keep with him. These are Kept in the
Jail Office, and the money Is dsbursed on the prs-
oners order, Tor any purpose deemed legitimate by
The prisoner at once enters upon the routine of
jail life. He probably gets to jail in time for din
her at o'clock. So after he has surveyed his mar.
row cell and already begun to think that life there
Tor three months, or six months. Will be one OF
through the corridors and soon man shoves an
oblong tin box through his grated door. He opens
this box and finds his dinner there, piece OF beef
ioat Of bread. After he has eaten his dinner q
man comes along and takes his box from him. He
VIII sit a:ter dinner smoking his pipe IL he has one
chewing the cud OF unpleasant memories and pros
poets II ne has none and cooling his heels on the
stone floor. Perhaps his eye viii examine the
walls, the barred windows and the grated door,
measure the distance from his window to the bot
tom OF the court below, estimate the height from
the bottom OF the court to the outer windows
through which he lnay get view OF small sec
ton or sky and green grass with little bit OF the
city beyond. II is probable that he will despair
OF getting out through the grat1ngS down into the
court, up again at the outer window and out upon
the green grass, by any means except those de-
vised 6y his lawyer. stu he may not give up all
nope That afternoon, but conclude to think 1t over
again some other day.
THE FIRST NIGHT IN JAIL
Presently daylight begins to fade away. The
twilight seems gray and dim and cherries. When
1t Is over darkness settles down around everything
and the prisoner remains in darkness until sun
rise The next morning. He may look out OF his
grated door, and see faint reflection of light in
the corridor from the gaSburnerS In the rOtunda
Every half hour q lantern flashes into his cell as
the jail guards make their round, and quickly dis
does not sleep his 1rst night In jail he is likely to
be filled with strange Understanding night
moraze much or allow his rest to be disturbed Dy
any flights OF fancy. Unless he Is in a nervous
state from the effects of a spree, he philosophi-
and sleeps till he is aroused in the morning AT
daylight guards, with gang Of laborers go
The prisoner has TO get up, dress and put his cot
in order. Then he SITS down and waits until 8
o'clock when another tin box is showed through
also quart cup given him, and man carrying a
huge can ILLS the cup with coffee. He has hall a
LOAF OF wheat bread or slab OF corn bread, and O
herring or mackerel In his box. After breakfast
he continues his meditatlonS until dinner time He
may be allowed out In the corridor a short time
for exercise. AT any rate he can amuSe himself
during the day by listening to the murynurtnE of
voices at the end OF the corridor and scanning the
faces Of persons who occasionally pass his cell
door.
RECEIVING VISITORS.
II he has any friends in the city, any mother.
wife, or sweetheart, or any one who still cares for
him in his degradation, they will probably come
to see him ON the second day of his confinement.
It may be a mother, old and carewOrn or q wife
whose young face is Jaded and stamped with mis-
cry. He may be let out Of his cell and allowed to
talk with his visitors In the platform In the cage
at the end OF lis corridor. his friends bring him
books TO read, or some deicacy to eat, or tobacco
he is allowed to have them after the prison au-
thorties have satisfied themselves that there are
no cOntraband articles concealed In the packages
His life Is apt to become somewhat nonotonOus
The Government furnishes him with plain and
solid fare-beef three times week. bacon on Sun.
days, and occasionally bean soup or vegetable
soup, potatoes, and beans and bread II he is sick
and the doctors order 1t, he may have an sextra
box, !" some tea and toast, perhaps or something q
little datnter than ordinary prison fare. He gets
but two meals o daJ-hlS breakfast at G. and his
dinner at 3. He may save out OF his abundant
dinner II ne likes something for his supper. He
may be detailed to work about, doing the policing
helping about the kitchen II he Is not OF law
habit he Will prefer this to remaining In his cell
II he works he will get three meals day,
THE JAIL KITCHEN
is large apartment east of the rotunda which IL
kept as clean and neat as any hotel kitchen. 1t
has ovens and boilers and all the apparatus
needed to cook for two or three hundred boariers
on one side Of the kitchen are piled in rows the
tin boxes that meals are served In. These are al
Va washed clean when they Cd